Building a Culture of Teamwork
The demands and competitive realities of today’s business environment require that companies operate with a combination of responsiveness, speed, and quality that can only be achieved through high levels of collaboration and teaming. In order to win in a demanding and rapidly-changing market, teamwork is not optional—it is essential. Unfortunately, many organizations suffer from poor…
What’s It Like to Work With You?
It is important to periodically stop, step away from the routines of your job, and reflect on the impact you are having on the people with whom you work. Here are 12 questions to guide your self-reflection and increase your awareness of what it is actually like to work with you. If you want to…
Win the Inner Battle
Your mind is constantly operating. Myriad of thoughts and feelings run through your head every day. You experience situations, you do your best to see clearly and evaluate effectively, and then you decide how to respond. You are continually bombarded with the messages of advertisers, and you must decipher what is true and what is…
Three Dangers of Disruptive Emotion
Be careful not to get caught in the grip of disruptive emotion. You can’t make good decisions with bad information, and sometimes emotions give you bad information. This is because there are three things that a disruptive emotion doesn’t want: precision, patience, or perspective. A disruptive emotion doesn’t want precision. It doesn’t care about the facts…
Be Discerning
Be discerning. Don’t accept an article, news story, or social media post simply because it feels good to you. Beware confirmation bias. Articles, news stories, and social media posts are written by people with agendas, and it is your responsibility to understand the connection between the messenger, the message, the motives, and the methods. To…
Seven Reasons to Avoid BCD
A common default trap that many fall into is BCD. When faced with a problem or difficult situation, there is a tendency for people to react by Blaming someone else, Complaining about the situation, and Defending their own default behavior. We’ve all done it. Some do it a lot. But understand this: BCD never solved…
What Is Culture?
Culture is not about concepts; it is about core beliefs. Culture isn’t about platitudes; it’s about standards. Culture is not a document that hangs on the wall. Culture is what people believe, how they behave, and the results their behavior produces. A written statement is important because it helps clarify the desired cultural standards, but…
Ten Things That Require Courage
The word “courage” derives from Latin, and it means “strength of heart.” Courage is inner strength. It is not something that automatically happens; it is something you must cultivate and build within yourself. It is important to understand that having courage does not mean you are not afraid. What it means is the inner strength…
Success Leaves a Blueprint
What does it take to win? What key disciplines produce success? Fortunately, the answer is not a secret. As it turns out, success leaves a blueprint. Know Your WhyAt the most basic level, people are motivated to avoid pain and experience pleasure. At the highest level, people are motivated to pursue a purpose greater than…